Trust
by Reianshitsu
Summary: Uploaded with permission - Nozomu learns to trust Raidne while Orimaru, Drako, and Darecry take a chance at trusting Nozomu. Does it pay off?


_**Trust**_

_By: Rèîán§hitsü_

Nozomu slammed Raidne against a wall, spilling Raidne's blood across the wall and the ground below. Raidne had several scratches across her face from where Nozomu had sliced her into pieces. Blood dripped down onto Nozomu's wrist as he held Raidne against the cold wall.

"Please!" Raidne looked at Nozomu with narrowly opened eyes. "Darecry's gonna die… you have to stop this… you're the only one he'll listen to." Raidne stopped talking trying to get some air into her lungs.

"I don't want him to die," Raidne almost looked like she was going to cry. "You have to stop this; you're the only one who can!" She voiced passionately at Nozomu.

Nozomu dropped Raidne as Kusari ran up in the distance. Kusari had heard everything from 'Darecry's gonna die.' Kusari had stopped a couple yards away from Nozomu and Raidne. Nozomu turned and looked at her, sneering a moment before Raidne spoke again.

"Please…" Raidne asked from all fours. "You have to… he's going to die if you don't!" Raidne tried to yell but her voice wasn't working well.

"How the hell would you know?" Nozomu asked, staring down at Raidne. "You're not psychic, you're not even worth anything, you're a useless human."

"I just know…" Raidne looked up at Nozomu, blood running from the corners of her mouth. "Please… I don't want him to die."

Darecry stood across from Drako and Orimaru, only a few yards away, staring directly at them. The armies these men commanded were in the surrounding areas fighting and killing each other. The two sides had been at war for nearly a month now. There had been so much death and so much blood the count of the dead had been lost.

Darecry got ready to attack but just as he was about to, something happened that shocked all three men standing there. Nozomu got between Darecry and his brother, facing Darecry.

Darecry's eyes widen and his body relaxed some, "N-Nozomu… what are you doing?"

Nozomu opened his mouth like he had something to say but couldn't find the reason he had to say. After a few moments he shut his eyes and spoke.

"You have to stop this… Or I'm fighting on their side," Nozomu said, at first looking away then facing Darecry straightforward.

Darecry felt like the wind had just been knocked out of him. Was Nozomu betraying him? Whether he was or not, Darecry felt like it was. Darecry took a couple steps back watching Nozomu, feeling more miserable then he had before, even with the things that had happened between him and his brother. After a few more minutes with a shocked look, Darecry bit his tongue and looked away.

"Fine," Darecry muttered not really in a good state of mind to talk very loudly, lest he started screaming obscenities at Nozomu. He couldn't even bring himself to look at her.

Darecry called off his army and Orimaru and Drako did as well. Orimaru and Drako were still unsure what was going on and they really didn't trust Nozomu. About that time Kusari walked up in the distance with Raidne. Orimaru and Drako turned their attention to them.

Raidne was beat up badly, her neck was wrapped up and her face would've been too except Kusari ran out of bandages. Raidne was leaning against Kusari, not having the strength to stand by herself. When they saw the fight had been called off Raidne sighed of relief and Kusari threw Nozomu a glance that simply read shock.

Drako immediately went over to them and Orimaru soon followed, keeping his eyes on Nozomu who was just standing there watching Darecry, almost as confused as he was, but not nearly as pissed. When Drako asked Raidne what happened, Raidne only insisted that they leave. At this Drako picked Raidne up and they walked away with Orimaru and Kusari. Nozomu followed in the back a little ways after telling Darecry to come along. Darecry grit his teeth really not wanting to, but he followed Nozomu from a distance anyway.

Darecry walked with his eyes on the ground, contemplating what he was going to say to Nozomu later… What he could say to Nozomu without snapping. Nozomu stayed really quiet without a comment to Kusari or a glance at Darecry, Nozomu didn't even respond when Orimaru asked what had happened. When Orimaru got no answer from Nozomu he looked at Kusari and asked the same question.

"Nozomu beat the crap out of Raidne, that's exactly what happened…" Kusari replied. At that both Drako and Orimaru stopped walking and turned to face Nozomu. Kusari stopped by Orimaru and Darecry stopped walking in the back, lifting his head and looking at Nozomu. When Nozomu realized everyone was watching him he stopped and looked around at everyone.

"What the hell do you want now?" Nozomu asked, not in the normal pissed tone he usually did.

"What side are you on?" Drako asked utterly confused at how Nozomu beat Raidne to a pulp then defended Drako.

Nozomu opened his mouth again just as he had before, like he was going to answer but couldn't find his answer, neither a reason to give it. Before he could say anything, in the distance behind them there was a loud explosion sound. Nozomu and Darecry turned to look that way and saw the place where the armies had been fighting, as well as where the rulers of hell had been standing completely gone. Smoke rose from the enormous hole in the ground. Nozomu slowly walked past Darecry and a little further out to where the crack stopped and looked down into the darkness before turning around quickly and staring straight at Raidne.

"Bloody hell! Why didn't you tell me! I would've freakin' dragged him off screw convincing him!" Nozomu shouted.

Raidne winced in Drako's arms, as everyone turned their attention to her.

"What are we missing?" Orimaru asked.

"Well… while I was fighting and Nozomu was killing Raidne she started yelling about Darecry dying and Nozomu being the only one to save him… something like Darecry's gonna die if you don't stop him, you're the only one he'll listen to," Kusari cut in, scratching the side of her head. "Nozomu nearly killed Raidne specially after she started that but then Nozomu just disappeared I didn't actually expect him to go and convince Darecry to stop fighting…"

"I swear I didn't know… I-I didn't know that was going to happen, all I knew was Darecry was gonna die…" Raidne replied keeping her eyes shut almost shaking. "I-I didn't know…"

"You wretched woman!" Nozomu shouted again.

"I didn't know!" Raidne opened her eyes and looked at Nozomu. "I swear! Don't you think if I knew that-that-that that was going to happen I would've been out there trying to convince Drako not to fight there rather then trying to convince you to convince Darecry not to fight!" Raidne paused breathing through her mouth. "Do you honestly believe that? Or that I would take all this from you for something I could do myself!"

Nozomu shut his mouth and just watched Raidne.

"Besides you're the one who believed me…" Raidne whispered shutting her eyes again and leaning her head against Drako's chest wanting to cry but refusing to let herself.

After a few seconds of silence passed Drako vanished with Raidne and Orimaru offered Kusari his hand to leave. Kusari glanced at Nozomu a moment and slightly lowered her head for a split second soon raising it again. Kusari could voice her thanks to Raidne but not to Nozomu. If Nozomu wouldn't have tried Orimaru would be just as dead as Darecry, but even still Kusari couldn't bring herself to thank Nozomu vocally. Kusari took Orimaru's hand and they disappeared, leaving Nozomu and Darecry alone.

Darecry turned and looked at Nozomu, who had directed his attention back to the hole.

"I thought… you betrayed me…" Darecry admitted.

Nozomu lifted his head and looked at Darecry a moment then scoffed and walked to him. "Why the hell would I do that?"

"You seemed to be on their side…" Darecry looked at Nozomu as Nozomu stopped in front of him.

Nozomu sneered as if disgusted, "I don't like your brother anymore then you do, I'm perfectly fine if you kill him and dipstick too, it'd be a nice chance to hurt that whore who ticked me off one too many times."

Darecry's eyes danced across Nozomu's face as he felt miserably vulnerable and at the same time he was still shocked from what had happened and grateful that Raidne had spoken up and Nozomu had listened. Darecry closed his eyes and leaned against Nozomu, resting his head just under the half-demon's neck.

Nozomu's eyes slightly widened a moment then returned to normal. He was about to push Darecry away when a thought passed through his mind. Darecry does these things because he feels weak and Nozomu is a source of strength. Nozomu glanced down at Darecry for a little while then put his arms around the younger boy. He almost couldn't believe he was about to say what he did.

"It's fine Darecry… I'm going to keep you safe."


End file.
